Shorted pins on PCB? [No] (Edit: Excellent PCBs!)

[rajhlinux]

Hello, I’m building an open source laser scanning device called “Hexastorm”:

open hardware fast high resolution LASER

I ordered 15 PCBs from JLCPCB and 2 groups (10 boards) all have shorted pins.
I also used the “Lead-Free HASL” option from JLCPCB.

Is this normal from JLCPCB?

EDIT:
I apologize for my deep skepticism with JLCPCB. I spoke with the creator/engineer of the open source project. He told me that those shorted pins are actually part of the PCB design .
I checked the “KiCad PCB designs” and these “shorted” pins are indeed actually part of the PCB design.

Here is the KiCad PCB design referenced for the above PCB picture:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17GJoDfp6tsct76WyaoyYiR3PUbkfmiOe/view?usp=sharing

Therefore I would like to say that JLCPCB did a superb task in making these fine adjustments which I falsely assumed was shorts! - (Yes, I’m a complete noob )

I’m actually shocked how JLCPCB can provide such quality PCBs at low prices.
PCB Boards are perfect. Will be ordering from JLCPCB again, they arrived in NYC with no damages or scratches. Was professionally vacuumed sealed into individual groups with desiccants.

[SembazuruCDE]

I don’t know if this is normal for JLCPCB, but the fault looks to me like shorting from the HASL process. Grab one of the boards and see if you can clean the shorts out using a bit of solder wick. If so, my guess about the cause is accurate. I’m not sure if this sort of HASL fault is an issue with the process at JLCPCB or if that particular footprint is too small for reliable HASL, and you would have better reliability with ENIG.

I wonder if @atommann can shed any light here.

[davidsrsb]

Were you expecting solder resist between the pads?
I agree with @SembazuruCDE that ENIG is better with very fine pitch parts

[iabarry]

That gnd trace running under the ic needs soldermask.
When you have a large pad adjacent to a small pad, they heat/cool differently. I’m guessing something like that caused a solder blob.
You should be able to clean them up pretty easily.

[Meterman2026]

There are ICs that have a ground pad on the bottom, which I presume OP is using in that application.

[rajhlinux]

Those pin shorts, are actually part of the PCB design. I falsely assumed they were shorts.
JLCPCB actually have the proper equipment to do these fine adjustments to make these required tiny shorts.

[jmk]

So the board is correct and not faulty?

[bobc]

Yes, PCB appears correct according to design

Not the way I would have done the layout, but that’s how the designer made it.

There is always the possibility of faulty boards, so always worth checking against design. It seems quite unfair to criticize a manufacturer for doing what was asked though. I guess we leave this thread up as a teachable moment.

[fred4u]

Pretty nasty “Blob” indeed. I’d use a Zone or single traces of the pad width.

[iabarry]

I’d suggest routing traces from the ic pins out to a trace to gnd. If you ever need to make a cut so the pins are NOT shorted, having the shorting trace available is a huge benefit.

[fred4u]

That depends. E.g. for some SMPS designs, it may be beneficial to route underneath the IC to obtain smallest possible loop area.

[rajhlinux]

Yes, board is correct and not faulty.